Center City office workers are about to lose some familiar comfort food, as CookNSolo, the restaurant group behind Zahav, Dizengoff, Federal Donuts & Chicken and vegan falafel concept Goldie, prepares to close three Federal Donuts & Chicken locations and three Goldie outposts by the end of July. The pullback will cut dozens of frontline jobs and erase several go-to lunch options near busy office corridors, with company leaders framing the move as a way to steady their fast-casual businesses while protecting the larger full-service restaurants.
According to the Philadelphia Business Journal, CookNSolo cited shaky economic conditions and sluggish weekday lunch traffic as the main reasons for the decision. The outlet reports that three Federal Donuts & Chicken shops and three Goldie locations across Center City and nearby hubs will close, with company representatives describing the strategy as an effort to stop ongoing losses and streamline operations.
What’s closing and who’s affected
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the Federal Donuts at 1909 Sansom St. shut its doors after business on Sunday, and that two more locations, at 21 S. 12th St. and 1776 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, are expected to close by July 31. Of Federal’s roughly 45 city employees, 27 will lose their jobs, the paper notes. Goldie, which will shrink from four shops to one, will cut 18 of 36 positions as it shutters sites including 1218 Sansom St., a Franklin’s Table stall and a Whole Foods outpost. “We have two great brands here that are worth saving,” Steve Cook told the Inquirer.
Industry headwinds behind the move
Location-intelligence research and trade coverage point to broader challenges for mid-priced fast-casual lunch chains, as more diners grab prepared meals from supermarkets and convenience stores instead. Reporting that summarizes Placer.ai data in Restaurant Dive shows grocers, c-store brands and warehouse clubs capturing a growing share of everyday meal occasions, putting extra pressure on concepts that depend heavily on steady office foot traffic.
Protests, company response and what remains
The Philadelphia Inquirer notes that CookNSolo has been the focus of pro-Palestinian protests and boycott efforts, and an Instagram account called @boycottcooknsolo shared word of the closures. Company leaders told the paper that demonstrations have historically produced short bursts of higher sales and stressed that this round of shutdowns is tied to weak weekday lunch demand rather than political activity. The Inquirer also outlines what will remain open: two Federal Donuts city locations and a single Goldie at 1911 Sansom St. Hourly employees will not receive severance, and the company said it will try to help displaced staffers land other roles where possible.
CookNSolo told the Philadelphia Business Journal that pulling back now is intended to protect its stronger brands and lean on full-service restaurants that have rebounded. For the moment, the group is consolidating takeout and delivery, adjusting certain franchise arrangements and focusing on a smaller number of higher-performing quick-service locations as it works to stabilize operations.
